These are the incredible road trips around the world you must take before you die

The most enduring road trips show how cars and travel can turn ordinary roads into iconic scenic drives.

Some cross deserts, others hug coastlines, and many run through mountains.

Each reflects the environment and communities that surround it.

Here are 20 routes that remain central to how people see and experience the world by car.

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The world’s greatest roads

Route 66 runs from Chicago to Santa Monica and remains one of the most famous road trips.

Its diners, motels, and neon signage capture the mid-20th-century American highway.

The Blue Ridge Parkway crosses the Appalachian Mountains, offering views across wooded ridges.

Highway 61, the Blues Highway, links Memphis to New Orleans and follows a path shaped by music history.

In Australia, the Great Ocean Road traces the southern coast past limestone cliffs and small coastal towns.

South Africa’s Garden Route mixes beaches, forests, and lagoons with local seafood stops.

Scotland’s North Coast 500 follows single-track roads past castles and rugged terrain.

Canada’s Icefields Parkway connects Banff and Jasper, with glaciers visible from the roadside.

Alaska’s Route 1 cuts through mountains and wide rivers that define the state’s landscape.

Europe adds further variety.

The Amalfi Coast in Italy is known for narrow roads above the sea and towns built into cliffs.

Romania’s Transfăgărășan Highway winds through the Carpathians with steep gradients and sharp bends.

Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way covers nearly the entire west coast.

Norway’s Atlantic Road crosses small islands connected by sweeping bridges.

In Asia, the Silk Road crosses deserts and mountain passes used for centuries of trade.

The Karakoram Highway links Pakistan and China through valleys beneath some of the world’s tallest peaks.

South America’s Ruta 40 runs the length of Argentina alongside the Andes, from wine country to Patagonia.

These routes show how cars and travel continue to connect remote and diverse regions.

The Pan-American Highway stretches from Alaska into South America, making it the longest connected route in the world.

Few attempt it in full, but sections remain heavily traveled.

In Hawaii, the Hana Highway offers rainforests, waterfalls, and narrow coastal turns within a short distance.

Together these journeys remain among the most significant road trips ever taken.

These routes offer more than just good scenery

Culture is often as central to these road trips as the scenery.

The Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia combines Atlantic cliffs with Celtic music traditions.

On the Amalfi Coast, regional food and farming remain closely tied to the route.

Argentina’s Ruta 40 passes vineyards and mountain towns.

The Silk Road is still marked by bazaars and roadside trade.

These examples show how road trips bring together cars, travel, and lifestyle.

They give drivers a record of how people live along the routes, from food to music to community traditions.

Each journey documents a region through all of the scenic drives.

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